The new CEO of the Infosys, Vishal Sikka, quoted Herman Hesse’s book Siddhartha in an email to employees on his first day on the job, here on Friday, to convey the conviction behind his decision to join the IT bellwether company that has, in recent time, been struggling to keep up with competition peers.

In an email, where the tone was a marked departure from the staidness associated with Infosys’ past, the first CEO to emerge outside of the ranks of the co-founders of the company addressed his co-workers as “Friends” and signed off as “V”. Sikka stated in the email that he got a sense from his interactions with people at Infosys that he was embarking on an exciting journey.

Sikka in his letter appreciated an ‘overwhelming response’ within the company for a joining of minds labelled ‘Murmuration’ (after the natural phenomenon when large flocks of starling birds make a sound in unison with their individual wings). “Ideas from the Murmuration will be shortlisted and will feature at the heart of our transformation plan,” the new Infosys CEO said.